I didn’t mean to imply that celibacy was not endorsed always. I have been reading a lot of mediaeval and Reformation history lately. It seems the Protestant reformers pushing for priests to marry gave the Church a reason to reflect as to why the Church had always endorsed celibacy. It was determined that celibacy was actually a great positive for the priesthood and the Church as a whole, because every time the Church needed great leaders she was able to find the best ones in the monasteries where celibacy was revered even more so than in more secular arenas.
you wrote:
” It was determined that celibacy was actually a great positive for the priesthood and the Church as a whole, because every time the Church needed great leaders she was able to find the best ones in the monasteries where celibacy was revered even more so than in more secular arenas.”
Well, I don’t think the Church has had too many great leaders come out of monasteries over the last 400 years. The great ‘new’ religious orders, and secular diocese, have supplied most of the best popes, bishops, and male saints of the last 4 centuries. Unless I am mistaken, Gregory XVI, was the last monastic to become pope. Have you ever heard ANYTHING AT ALL about him? I haven’t. That was 170 years ago. I think we’ve had only about 6 monastic popes in the last 700 years.